Wednesday, 29 September 2010

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver , c/n 462 , was delivered to DH NZ Ltd on 14-07-1953 to become ZK-BDI with James Aviation Ltd from 03-09-1953 and first flew on 02-10-1953. It was blown over in a gale at Taupo on either 12 or 13-05-1958 and was cancelled on 22-08-1958. The wreckage went to Aerial Farming of NZ Ltd for it to be rebuilt.
It rejoined the register as ZK-BMO to Aerial Farming on 12-12-1958. It was crashed at Nihoniho on 02-09-1960 and was cancelled on 21-03-1961 with the remains being sold abroad.
In Australia it was rebuild by Aerial Agriculture Pty Ltd at Bankstown and was registered to them as VH-AAW on 15-08-1961. It transferred to Robby's Aerial Services Ltd of Parafield, South Australia and was re-registered as VH-RAS on 22-11-1962.
Its Australian registration was cancelled in March of 1966 and the Beaver returned to NZ to join the Fieldair fleet on 05-04-1966 as ZK-CPZ. It was damaged in a storm on 10-04-1968 (place unknown).

Two views of ZK-CPZ at Gisborne on 13-12-1970.

It did the Company name change thing to Fieldair Holdings (Central) Ltd on 18-11-1980
On 16-09-1983 ownership moved to Griffin Ag Air/Kairanga Aviation Ltd with the registration being changed to ZK-BDI on the same day.
It was moved to the Parakai Parachute Centre on 08-02-1988 and then to P Roberts on 26-09-1990 for cancellation on 20-11-1990 for export back to Australia.
On 10-01-1991 it became VH-BOS with Altair Aviation (P Roberts) of Bungador, Victoria and remains with them today.

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver , c/n 1603 , was delivered to Hawker Siddeley International Ltd of Wellington on 16-07-1965. It first flew here on 17-12-1965 and was registered as ZK-CPE to Aerocraft Holdings Ltd of Wanganui on 25-01-1966. It was transferred to Wanganui Aero Work Ltd of Wanganui on 11-07-1967 with whom it carried the name "Moawhango". It ferried out of Wanganui on 08-04-1974 to join Airwork (NZ) Ltd at Christchurch from 15-05-1974. On 04-11-1977 it damaged the fuselage and wing when it slid on the strip at Hororata.

ZK-CPE at Rangiora 01-01-1978.

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ZK-CPE, also at Rangiora on 01-01-1978.

﻿Then on 01-09-1978, on Molesworth Station, it overturned following fuel exhaustion. A period of storage followed from 1980, until relisting with Virgo Fisheries Ltd of Kaikoura on 09-07-1982.

Three views of ZK-CPE at Wanganui 15-07-1984

ZK-CPE at Ardmore on 09-08-1985﻿

By 16-10-1985 it was with Ross B Jowitt of Auckland.
It then underwent a six year rebuild and emereged painted as a USAF L-20/U-6A.
Cancelled from the NZ register on 23-10-1998 it went back to Canada and became C-GTCF on 01-10-1998 with T C Leasing Ltd at La Ronge, Saskatchewan. and then to Points North Air Services Inc from 03-06-99. Current listed owner is Sotracom Ltee, Societe de Traduction de Communications at Cap-Sante, Quebec from 25-07-2000.

Monday, 27 September 2010

De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver , c/n 1602 , came to Hawker-Siddeley at Wellington on 16-07-1965. It first flew from Wellington on 19-11-1965 (some say 15-11-65) and was registered as ZK-COV to Auster Air Services Ltd of Timaru on 22-11-1965.
It was fitted with a larger oversized hopper for poison bait work.

ZK-COV at Waimate 02-11-1967.

ZK-COV at Waimate 02-11-1967.

ZK-COV at Waimate on 13-11-1970

ZK-COV at Waimate 13-11-1970.

Auster Air Services became part of the Airwork establishment and the title was changed to Airwork (NZ) Ltd, Christchurch on 16-05-1974. The aircraft still carried the Auster Air Servises Ltd signage but had a small "An Airwork (NZ) Ltd Division" in small letters below, plus the AW badge on the fin.

ZK-COV at Waimate on 11-01-1975.

ZK-COV at Waimate 11-01-1975.

ZK-COV crashed with fatal results on 01-03-1975 in the Brothers Range, near Cave in South Canterbury.

Sunday, 26 September 2010

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver , c/n 1084 , was delivered to DH Australia on 20-10-1957 and joined the Aerial Agricultural Pty Ltd fleet as VH-AAL3 on 19-12-1957. It moved over to Robby's Aerial Services of Parafield, South Australia on 24-01-1963 as VH-RAL.
Its Australian registration was cancelled on 10-08-1965 on export to NZ where it flew for the first time on 02-09-1965 and was registered to Air Contracts Ltd of Masterton on 04-09-1965 as ZK-CMW.
It had at least two accidents; both near Pahiatua; first was a wire strike on 14-03-1966. The second was on 19-06-1968.

ZK-CMW at Dannevirke 1967 or 1968.
Photo via Ray Deerness

﻿﻿It was sold damaged to Fieldair Ltd on 03-02-1969. After repair it was used as a training aircraft as it was dual control. It was withdrawn from use on 14-07-1975 having flown 8915 hours. Title moved to Fieldair Holdings (Central) Ltd of Palmerston North on 18-11-1980 until its registration was cancelled on 30-03-1984. It was transferred to the RNZAF Museum at Wigram in January 1986 and was reworked to represent the RNZAF Beaver NZ6001/NZ6010 , c/n 911 , which was lost in an incident on the Beardmore Glacier on 15-01-1960.

De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver , c/n 1048 , was built in a 1957 and deliveered to DH Australia to become VH-AAI with Aerial Agriculture Pty Ltd from 29-07-1957.
Imported into NZ it first flew here on 29-07-1965, was cancelled from the Australian register on 01-08-1965 and listed as ZK-CMV to Air Contracts Ltd of Masterton on 18-08-1965.

ZK-CMV at Wellington 1966.

It was damaged at Weber on 18-05-1967. Then hired to Graham Stewart & Co Ltd only to suffer more damage. This time on 04-12-1967 in the Arawhata River area of the West Coast, South Island.
It then spent a while with Aviation Contracts Ltd of Invercargill during 1969 before returning to Air Contracts for cancellation on 26-01-1970 for export to Canada.

ZK-CMV with Aviation Contracts Ltd at Invercargill on 27-04-1969.

It became CF-AXC with Bannock Aerospace Ltd at Vancouver in May of 1970 and then moved to J Midgett and CC Clark who traded as C & M Airways of Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan from 27-05-1982. Its registration was amended to C-FAXC at some unknow date with Jacksons Air Service Ltd featuring. For some years now Canada has adopted a Company numbers system which makes it hard to know who actually owns what. In this case C-FAXC it was listed to 101014196 Saskatchewan on 01-08-2001 - which I believe translates to use by Ross Air Services of Sandy Bay. The latest change was on 23-10-2007 when MHA Enterprises Ltd of Theresa Point, Manibota became the registered owners.

Saturday, 25 September 2010

De Haviland Canada DHC-2 Beaver ZK-CMU was c/n 1590. It came to NZ courtesy of Hawker Siddeley of Wellington. It was first flown here on 21-07-1965 and delivered to Fieldair Ltd of Gisborne on the 23rd.

ZK-CMU at Masterton on 08-05-1971

ZK-CMU at Masterton on 27-02-1972

It followed the Company changes to Fieldair Holdings (Central) Ltd, Palmersaton North on 18-11-1980 and then to Fieldair Holdings Ltd, PN from 30-03-1984. It was withdrawn from use on 28-10-1994 and stored dismantled at Gisborne.
It was restored 1989/1990 and listed to Float Air Picton (1984) Ltd of Picton on 06-08-1990.

ZK-CMU on the hard at Picton on 10-12-1990

ZK-CMU. Picton 10-12-1990

During maintenaince at Picton on 17-09-1991.

It then went to Frank Wright at Tauranga on 15-05-1996 for rebuild and export.
Its NZ registration was cancelled on 23-07-1997 for it to became N97FW with F E Wright of Gardnerville, Nevada on 28-08-1987. On 10-12-1997 it was relisted to Barnstormer Classic Aviation of Fairford, Connecticut.
For addition pictures of ZK-CMU check out:-

With the Westland WA341G Gazelle ZK-HTB3 recently departing for "Russia" and with ZK-HTF3 having been revoked back on 24-04-2003; It is now the turn of ZK-HBH3 to shuffle off.
Westland Gazelle HT Mk2 , c/n 1418 , first flew on 24-02-1976 and was delivered to the Royal Navy as XX441 on 07-04-1976. It served with 705 Squadron and carried the code "CU-38". It was withdrawn into storage at Shawbury on 21-05-1997 and remained there until departing for NZ on 03-07-2001.
All three were re-assembled at Christchurch during October/November of 2001.
ZK-HBH3 was registered on 07-11-2001 to Brian Hall and John Butterfield and undertook its first NZ flight on 11-11-2001.

Gazelle ZK-HBH about to carry out its first flight in NZ.
Harewood Road, Christchurch 11-11-2001.

ZK-HBH in flight 11-11-2001.

It was fitted with its short legs and placed into a container at Heli Maintenance, Christchurch on 23-09-2010, bound for South Africa.

The cockpit view used in question time # 114 is that of the Zlin Z-37T ZK-DOZ2. This is c/n 010. It arrived in country as OK-RJD and was assembled at Rangiora. It was registered as ZK-DOZ2 with Aerial Sowing Group Ltd of Nelson on 31-10-2002 and was noted doing taxying tests on 07-11-2002. It first flew at Rangiora either on the 14th or 15th November 2002.

At some date prior to January of 2003 it had an incident as it was noted in a damaged state.

A damaged ZK-DOZ at Rangiora on 04-01-2003.

Parts still lying around at Rangiora on 04-04-2008.

On 23-02-2005 it was relisted to the McCombie Family Trust of Christchurch and appeared with large "Mainland Minerals" script on fuselage and under the wings.

ZK-DOZ at Rangiora 20-11-2006.

Flying Ag Co Ltd of Alexandra become the registered owners from 28-08-2007.
It was noted engineless at Taieri in October 2008.
It was cancelled as withdrawn on 04-02-2009 - Its airframe having reached the magic 3000.
It has now about to become another fine exhibit at the Ashburton Aviation Museum.

Fuselage of ZK-DOZ at the Ashburton Aviation Museum 22-09-2010

The "clue"

There will be no chocolate fishes handed out for this one. We got the type ok first shot, but the registration was never nailed down to my satisfaction, nor was the location sorted.

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver c/n 25 is the earliest built Beaver to have served in NZ. It was delivered to De Havilland Africa on 17-11-1948 and became ZS-DCG to Tank Aircraft Pty Ltd of Johanasburg the same month. It was sold to one Brian Lovel Reginald Pocock of Sussex on 05-11-1961 and was registered as G-ARTR gaining its CofA on the 14th. I believe it operated in Libya for some time. It was sold on 07-08-1964 and shipped to NZ, arriving here on 07-10-1964. It reportedly first flew here on 16-11-1964 for delivery to Air Services (Wairarapa) Ltd of Masterton the following day. Its registration date as ZK-CKH being 21-12-1964 (which seems a bit odd).

ZK-CKH at Masterton on 02-03-1969.

ZK-CKH at Masterton on 23-09-1969

ZK-CKH with different script at Masterton on 27-02-1972

The other side of ZK-CKH at Masterton on 27-02-1972.
Note insignia on cowl.

ZK-CKD on 03-10-1973 at Masterton.

ZK-CKH Masterton on 31-08-1979

It served with Air Contracts of Masterton during 1965 and was listed to Air Services (1979) Ltd on 19-08-1980.

On 02-09-1982 it went to Des Menary of Kaikohe (ASTA Co-Op) and then briefly to James Aviation from 08-05-1984 until 01-06-1984 when it was listed to E F Doherty, B N Coulter and I C Reynolds of Auckland. With this syndicate it was painted to represent the RNZAF Beaver NZ6001 (c/n 911, which crashed on the Beardmore Glacier in Antarctica on 15-01-1960) and named "City of Auckland".

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ZK-CKH at Christchurch on 05-03-1990.

At Ardmore on 18-03-2000

It was relisted to the Beaver Preservation Trust of Auckland on 20-03-02. It underwent a major refurbishment during 2008-2009.